Gravity Rises (S2)

HW: Part Four

That night, Bill Cipher visited Dipper's dreams.

In the dream, Amanda was over at Dipper's house, sitting on the couch with him. Dipper was telling some stupid story about a prank he pulled in the third grade, and Amanda was laughing like it was the funniest thing ever. The more she laughed, the more Dipper got into his story, and he jumped up onto the couch cushions to make a hilarious point.

"And my friend Ozzie — he laughed so hard that milk came out of his nose!"

Amanda started to laugh, but then she suddenly fell silent.

Dipper frowned. "'Manda?"

She blinked and looked up at him. Her hands were folded primly in her lap.

Dipper deflated. He sat back down on the couch. "Amanda, what's wrong?"

She tilted her head. "Dipper. . ."

"Yeah?"

"Dipper. . . why didn't you save me?"

"What?" Dipper asked. "What do you mean? I saved you. I broke the ice. Right?"

Amanda shook her head sadly. "Are you sure? Are you sure you didn't leave me to freeze?"

"I-I'm sure! Of course I'm sure! Melody and I broke the ice!"

Amanda lifted her head and opened her eyes.

They were yellow.

"Oh, Dipper," she said, staring at him with Babel-like eyes, "how do you know that wasn't just a dream?"

In a panic, Dipper vaulted over the back of the couch, nearly twisting his ankle as he landed. "Bill! Get out of my girlfriend!"

"Relax, Shooting Star, I'm not real," Amanda said calmly.

Then she flopped back onto the couch, unconscious. Her body spasmed as a glowing yellow triangle came floating up from her chest.

"I am, though," Bill said.

"Get out!" Dipper shouted. "Get out of my—"

He stopped, looking around. His house? Wasn't he at the Mystery Museum? Couldn't Bill only talk to people in their dreams?

"I'm dreaming," he realized aloud.

"Yep," Bill said. "Welcome to lucidity!"

Dipper narrowed his eyes. "Get out of my dreams."

Bill put his hands up. "Now, Shooting Star, that's no way to talk to a pal."

"You're right, it's not. Good thing none of my pals are here."

Bill put a hand to his. . . heart? Did he have a heart? Dipper highly doubted it.

"I'm wounded," the demon said. "I came to warn you. Isn't that what pals do?"

Dipper's eyes narrowed further. "Depends on what the warning is. Did you come to warn us about your cult? 'Cause you're too late; we already know about that one."

"No. I came to warn you about your family. Sixer and Pine Tree are not being honest with you."

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Sure they're not."

"They're not. They spent all day down in that basement and discovered so much. The fuel issue was only the tip of what they found."

"Unless they found Stan, I don't really care."

"Oh," said Bill, "I think this will interest you. When that portal turns on, gravity will stop working."